Despite the team’s success, creating a successful bond with her new players hasn’t been straightforward.
“It took me so long to build trust with them because they’ve had so many coaches stand up and say they’re going to do something and then do the opposite,” says Stoney.
“So hopefully they’re feeling that [trust] now and I have to remind myself of that every day when at four o’clock, everyone back in the UK has gone to bed and I’m still at work.”
As well as forming that bond, she has also been trying to create “a safe space” for them “to make mistakes and know that that’s OK”.
“They have been so fearful of making mistakes, because from their coaching experiences if they make a mistake there are consequences,” says Stoney.
“Or they’re yelled at or shouted at. I don’t understand that mentality because mistakes are the biggest place where you grow and you learn.”
One of the deciding factors behind Stoney’s decision to move to the NWSL was, unlike in her previous role at Manchester United, San Diego only have a women’s team.
“It’s a breath of fresh air that everything is dedicated to the women’s team, for the women’s team, about the women’s team,” she says. “We’re never second best, or third best or fourth best to any other team.”
She is also relishing the tight nature of the league, adding: “Having worked in the Women’s Super League, and having worked here, [the NWSL] is the most competitive league in the world. You don’t have big scorelines, it’s just not a thing here.”